Needle-weft-inserting loom



Aug. 12, 1930. F. WALTERS 1,772,973

NEEDLE WEF'I INSERTING LOO! Filed Jan. 31. 1930 lNV/ENTOR BY 4/ 6MZM4LM/ I W HTTORNEY Patented Aug. 12, 1936 UNITED STATS FRANK WALTERS, OF KIDDERMINSTER, ENGLAND NEEDLE-'EFT-INSERTING LOOM Application filed January 31, 1930, Serial No. 424,981, and. in Great Britain September 14, 1928.

This invention relates to looms of the type in which the weft threads are inserted trans versely between the warp threads by means of a needle or needles adapted to be moved across the entire width of the fabric from one edge to the other. A shuttle race is commonly provided just beyond the further edge of the fabric for the guidance of the selvedge shuttle or shuttles working upon that edge.

Experience has shown that when the loom is of more than medium width, the weft needle or needles cannot always be depended upon to enter the shuttle race with sufficient accuracy to ensure the weft being caught by the selvedge thread. This difficulty is naturally greater in proportion as the width of the fabric is increased.

The present invention aims at removing the above difficulty by providing the loom with means for controlling or guiding the weft inserting needles so that the effective entrance of the latter into the shuttle race can always be relied upon. The advantage of this, as will easily be seen, is that the quality of the fabric will be improved owing to the reduction or absence of broken weft threads and of imperfect selvedges. In some known types of loom for producing a wide tufted fabric, the weft inserting needle is guided into the shuttle race by the shed formed by the warp threads, but in certain cases, particularly in a double shed type of loom, this known method is not practicable, the shedding having to be of greater depth when double than when single. It has however been proposed to guide and support the weft-inserting or lower needle of a pair during its travel through the shed by guiding-parts formed in or secured to the lay. My invention is different from these known arrang ments, as will be seen from the description which follows.

According to the present invention, I provide means for controlling or guiding the needle or needles of a needle weft inserting loom, consisting of a vertically movable guide or guides adapted to rise and fall at the desired periods in front of and behind the needle or needles.

One form of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 showing a side elevation of a loom from which are omitted all details unconnected with the invention, Fig. 2 an enlarged section through the weft needles and their vicinity, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view which shows the relation of the forks with the breast beam and the needles.

The accompanying drawing shows two long needles N N of a usual type for weft insertion, these being mounted parallel one above the other in well known manner. A device for controlling and guiding said needles N N consists of a fork F situated on the top of a vertical rod R supported at its lower end upon a more or less horizontal lever I pivoted at P and bearing a stud or roller which rests upon a cam C. The inter-engaging lower ends of the rods R and lever I may be provided with a slot and cross bar and pin connection S in order that the oscillatory movement of the ends of the levers I may impart a vertical movement to the rod R which slides in uidebrackets G. The drawing shows the reast beam B and the Working Warp threads W together with the central dead warp D.

The forks F carried by the rods R are reciprocated vertically by means substantially as shown, in order to move them out of the path of the lay to'permit beat up.

The forks F have fiat tines and are adapted to reciprocate vertically between the warp threads IV in one of the spaces formed by the reeds of the lay (not shown) and to uide the weft inserting needles N as the fatter move in and out of the shed. There may be any desired number of the forks F at suitable intervals across the loom, the rods thereof being mounted slidably in brackets and operated by cams C placed on a revolving shaft which is part of the ordinary mechanism of the loom, these cams imparting a risin and falling movement so timed that the for s are reciprocated so that the needles N N are prevented from being diverted from the line in which they should travel.

I claim 1. In a loom having needle weft insertion, means for controlling or guiding the needles, consisting of vertically movable guides and a lever operated to cause the guides to rise and fall at the desired periods to and from a position to engage with the needles.

, 2. Means for controlling or guiding the needle of a needle Weft inserting loom, comprising in combination a vertically movable fork actuating means for causing same to rise and hill atthe desired periods, and guides for retaining the alignment of the needle during the insertion of the Weft.

FRANK WALTERS. 

